Tag Archives: Wellness

Perfect Thai Massage in Surat Thani

Posted on July 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

We are finally in Surat Thani city. It is 6-7 p.m., everything is closed and desert! Not a soul on the sidewalks lining the main street that we took. Strange … I’m so used by Asian megacities that teeming of people and full of non-stop activity that this empty scenery is a bit disconcerting to me! Dinner at the hotel and good surprise: a Thai massage is provided at the other end of town. We cross streets where shops are still open and I feel reassured (lol!). Quiet life, passersby. Our driver seems to be lost. After some hesitation, phone calls and turns, he drops us in the most lost area of Surat Thani (lol)! The surroundings are pretty charming. The massage salon is adjacent to a lovely restaurant with a terrace. Once barefoot, I enter the large room that serves as both waiting room and rest room (pictures 1 and 2). I chose a traditional Thai massage (ie no oil), high intensity (not recommended for beginners). My feet washed, I joined two other members of our team in a room with several mattress separated by curtains. My masseuse doesn’t look easy and hands me the traditional Thai blouse and pants. The air conditioning is super cold and without further ado the massage begins. The atmosphere is cool, my masseuse chats with other masseuses, while I talk to my friends. Soon the massage is gaining intensity (well it hurts). And I can feel very precisely each of muscles! Not a muscle is spared. Methodically, she stretches up muscle by muscle and honestly it is not very pleasant. But little by little, I feel the benefits: my body becomes more flexible and I dozed. The massage will last one hour and a half. I think it was originally 2 hours. But for some reason I still do not know, all the masseuses stopped their massage at the same time. End of this perfect Thai massage, undoubtedly the best and most traditional I’ve ever had.

Follow my whole trip in THAILAND. You can also discover my other pictures in the Facebook of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Facebook of the Royal Thai Embassy in Belgium. ENJOY!

Thaïlande: A Beach between Chumphon and Surat Thani

Thailand: The Pak Tako Estuary in Chumphon

DESTINATIONS

Thai Massage @ The Baan Amphawa Resort & Spa

Posted on June 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

After exercise

(or how to overcome the pervasive macaques of the Klongkone Mangrove Conservation Centre!), time to relax (lololol!). I try whenever I can different massages: I remain an absolute unconditional of intensive traditional Thai massage!

Especially without oil nor any wellness marketing blablabla! Therapeutic, it worked on stretching. Not always pleasant for and sometimes even really painful for those muscles that I never do work!

The next day, it is a bless, the body relaxes as relieved of its weight. Especially when you have back problem. Believe me, I have back problem, because of the heavy camera equipment … not to mention the laptop, jetlag, stress and all the rest! Modern life!

Impossible for me not to experience Thai massage in the nicely decorated spa of the Baan Amphawa Resort & Spa (pictures 1, 2 and 3). A charming hotel where we spend tonight (rooms need to be renovated, but lovely breakfast). Not necesseray to mention that in Amphawa, there is not a plethora of hotels!

Upon arrival at the spa, you will feel pampered. Immediately my masseuse leads me to a large room, with tobacco walls and comfortable dark wood floors, all is calm. Too bad that the air conditioning is too strong, as always in hot countries!

After worn an unmatched comfort Thai fisherman pants with a beige linen blouse, my masseuse magically reappears. And then we move on to serious business: THE massage!

After a painful intense work on muscle tensions, the massage becomes more fluid and I dozed. When a sweet voice wakes me up to offer me a cup of jasmine tea, it’s over!

The massage lasted an hour and I am completely woozy, ready to jump into my bed to sleep the next 48 hours! Back to reality Mademoiselle Le K! Forget it immediately: tonight is Visakha Bucha Day, the celebration of the birth, enlightenment and entry into Nirvana of Buddha.

Follow my whole trip in THAILAND and Twitter. You can also discover my other pictures in the Facebook of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Facebook of theRoyal Thai Embassy in Belgium. ENJOY!

Thai massage in Bangkok

Thailand, Amphawa: Romhub, the unusual market of Mae Klong

DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

A Manicure @ So Spa By Sofitel Saint James London

Posted on March 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

After a day where I ran from one end to the other in the freezing cold London

(planning totally messed), I arrived at 6:30 p.m. at So Spa by Sofitel Saint James London for a manicure. Perfect timing before dinner with a friend. From the entrance, the quiet and the home lighting create a kind of cocoon that contrasts to my today rhythm.

Slowly the stress falls and I am slightly drowsy while the manicure begins. Carita for hands and OPI for nail care and nail polish, but I took one of my favorite varnish, the red London from Mavala. Safer for touch, knowing the very limited duration of my manicures (LOL!).

Soon I was served a nonalcoholic giant cocktail (included in the treatment, usually it’s a Martini) which gives me the impression of being on a distant beach with a perfect temperature … Honestly this huge cocktail gave a another dimension to the manicure done with great care!

A big thanks to my care manicure. When it was finished, I was directed to the lounge upstairs. Where once again I found the ceiling height of the building (a former bank) unbelievable. If the decoration and lighting of the rest room lend themselves wonderfully to extend this feeling of calm (photo 4), they did not count on two thirties clients screaming (yep!) their woes at work! I’m Zen, zen I go in my room.